SOS
by PercyJacksonLover14
Summary: It's their first anniversary, and Tony decides that it should be celebrated with the greatest gift ever: a CRUISE! But something goes wrong, and Pepper and Tony end up in a struggle on board. They are no longer concerned about the trip, they're more worried about their lives.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: SOS

**Uh, yes! I did think of this like literally yesterday, at night. I was reading a book and was thinking (randomly), "I wonder what would've happened if we got stranded on our cruise boat." And then I was like, "Okay… Story time!" **

** Yup… So just read on, and tell me what you think!**

**FYI: for those of you who like Rhodey being involved all the time, this is not the case. This story (majority of the time), will not include Rhodey as a character, so sorry…. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my story.**

The tickets had finally come in, and this would be the perfect way to celebrate their first anniversary.

Tony smiled at the confirmation ticket on the computer screen, and he couldn't wait to tell Pepper.

Pepper had warned him that their anniversary was coming up, and that she wanted to do something special since winter break was coming up. And though most people would think, "CRUISE IN THE WINTER? ARE YOU INSANE?" Tony thought it romantic since the boat would, in fact, take them to the Caribbean islands, which unlike New York, it would be a welcoming 80 degrees.

"I can't wait! Only a week left!" Pepper squealed, walking into the armory. She was grinning like mad as she wrapped her arms around Tony's waist and kissed his cheek lovingly.

Tony touched the arms around him, and grinned. "Yeah, I can't wait until Saturday." When he felt Pepper's arms move away, he took that moment to turn and admire her confused expression.

She was sporting his favorite outfit on her: a sleeveless navy blue tank top, and dark blue skinny jeans. It looked absolutely adorable on her. "Saturday? What's on Saturday?" She narrowed her eyes at him, making her freckles pop on her pale skin.

Tony came forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her towards him, and smirked when her small hands landed on his chest. "Something."

"That doesn't really mean anything to me."

"It's a gift. A gift celebrating our anniversary."

Pepper's eyes widened. She moved her hands so they also encircled his waist. She stepped closer to him and opened her eyes wide. Darn that puppy face. "Already? Our anniversary isn't until Tuesday."

Man, those big hazel eyes. "Yeah—I—It's nothing big. I hope you packed."

"For…?"

"Our cruise silly." And that's when all hell broke loose.

Pepper gasped audibly and screamed loudly. She threw herself onto him. If he thought he couldn't breathe before, he definitely couldn't breathe now with Pepper's kiss.

He had to pry her off of him by grabbing her arms and flipping her over, so that he was on top of her. "Calm down!" He said with a chuckle.

"But a _cruise_? You're celebrating our anniversary with a _CRUISE!_" Her bright eyes, flushed face, and wide grin made Tony laugh loudly. He couldn't help but place a quick kiss on her lips.

"You are so cute. Yes, a cruise. What's a better time than winter break, my beautiful Rose?"

Pepper's nose crinkled in confusion. "Uh, Rose? My name's Pepper, Jack." Tony grinned when Pepper understood his _Titanic _reference. "But, the boat did sink genius, and I really hope that doesn't happen to this cruise."

Tony got up and helped Pepper to her feet. "We leave tomorrow, Friday, so that way we'll be the first to get on board."

Pepper nodded but paused. "Wait, how did you get tickets? It's so last minute."

"I have a connection when the cruise line, and well, he was willing to move people over for our Suite room."

"We're gonna be in the same room?" Pepper's smile waned.

Tony gulped and nodded. He didn't know if they would be in the same room, or if they should be in different rooms. Since it was their anniversary, he was hoping they would be together, since Pepper had the tendency to call him in the middle of the night to spend the night with her in her room.

"If you don't want to, I can always—" Pepper pushed her lips to his. Her warmth reassured him, and made him believe with all his heart, that she loved him the way he loved her.

"I wouldn't want to be in any other room that wasn't with you. A suite room as well, I mean I would not pass on that offer at all." She smiled and pulled back. "You're not gonna bring your suit right?"

Tony slapped himself mentally. Of course he was going to bring his suit! It didn't matter that the boat was friendly and meant to protect and serve the members on board, it was still in the middle of the ocean, with no way to communicate to the nearest mass unless you're the captain. And Tony was definitely not the captain.

"Well, Pepper, I just wanted to. You know? Just in case things went wrong, and they needed someone to—"

"That's why they have security on board, Tony. You can't bring your suit with you, not on our anniversary. Besides, it's only a week without it! I'm sure you'll be fine, and we'll be fine. I wouldn't feel safer anywhere else but your arms, Tony." Pepper reached down to get her purse that was thrown to the floor.

She smiled at him before whipping out her phone. "I have to tell me dad about this, just so he won't be concerned when he finds out his daughter isn't home and called him overseas."

Once Pepper left, she waved hello to Rhodey before screaming at him about Tony's huge plan for the winter break.

Rhodey wiggled his ears and snapped his fingers, hoping that he hadn't lost his hearing. "I see you broke the news to her." There was a small smile on his face.

Tony could tell there was some jealously in his voice, because Rhodey was looking longingly at the computer screen behind him that still had the confirmation ticket online (and strangely, Pepper didn't catch that).

So Tony decided to be a little generous. "I did, but I didn't tell you."

"Uh—yes you did. You told me about the anniversary gift yesterday."

Tony smirked. "I didn't tell you something else, but I did tell Pepper."

Rhodey's eyebrows shot upward when Tony pulled up another tab that had a confirmation notice of two people: James Rhodes, and Roberta Rhodes. "You—you got us tickets for a cruise? For us?" Rhodey looked at Tony.

"I couldn't let you suffer in the cold. I decided to be nice. You and Roberta will enjoy a week long cruise to Mexico, amigo." Tony folded his arms across his chest and waited for the moment when Rhodey attacked him.

Except he didn't expect to be on the floor, again, when Rhodey hugged him. "You are—thank you, dude. My mom and I couldn't afford for a vacation. And you—you did this for us? Thank you."

"You leave Saturday, dufus. Go tell your mom, and get packing."

…

Friday came faster than possible, and Tony was waiting outside Pepper's apartment, twirling the keys to his car around his finger. Virgil came out first, holding a large suitcase in his hand.

Tony rushed forward and helped him put the suitcase in the trunk. "You've been treating my girl like a princess, thank you son." Virgil gave a curt pat on Tony's shoulders, and he couldn't have felt any better. Tony beamed at him and waited as Pepper walked out, dragging her carry- on behind her.

She was dressed for the drive with sweats and a baggy shirt. Her small purse was slung across her shoulder, and her sunglasses were on her head, pinning her hair back away from her face.

Tony told her that they would leave early, today, and stay in a hotel until the following morning, when the boat would arrive around ten that morning. It made it easier for check in, and also gave them a good view the day of.

Pepper ran forward and hugged her father tightly. "I'll miss you, daddy. Be careful, and make sure you heat some of the food I froze for you."

"Bye, Ginger." Her father said, kissing her head. "Be good, and have fun. I'll see you next Monday (yes, the cruise was 9 days because of how long it would take to go down to the Caribbean's from New York)." Pepper walked towards Tony, a huge grin plastered on her face, and hopped into the car. Tony shut Pepper's door and gave Virgil a shake hand.

"Thank you for allowing me to do this, sir."

"Call me Virgil, Tony." Virgil responded with a laugh. Then he narrowed his eyes, a playful glint sparkled in them. "Behave with my girl. No funny business in that suite room." Tony blushed, so he waved quickly and hopped into the driver's seat.

That was probably the scariest thing he heard coming from a father.

Starting up the engine, he allowed Pepper to say goodbye one last time before driving towards Massachusetts, the port to their anniversary vacation.

…

They reached the beach hotel at around seven that night. Pepper was asleep in the passenger seat; her face slumped against her makeshift purse pillow. Tony was tired as well, and couldn't have been happier when he spotted the hotel. It was the only five star he could find, and it made him happy since Pepper would wake up to a view of the beach.

"Pepper, we're here. Come on. Up and at 'em." Tony said popping the trunk. He leaned across the seats and kissed her cheek, which stirred her awake. She groaned and got out of her seat to join him in the back.

"What do we need?" She asked. When she noticed Tony only pulling out his carry on, she did the same and nodded at him to close the trunk.

"We're going to get a good night sleep and go on the best vacation of your life time, tomorrow." Tony said grinning at her.

From there it was the normal. They walked into the five star after handing the valet parker their keys. They checked in at the fancy (well in Pepper's case it was heaven, and for Tony it was ordinary) counter where a fancy woman directed them to a fancy elevator.

"Enjoy your night, sir and ma'am." The woman commented with her fake smile. Tony decided to make her night (and also because he was just in a happy mood) and tipped her a hundred bucks, in cash. She gasped and stood, accepting the money with both hands. "Th-thank you sir!"

Tony waved her off and wrapped an arm around Pepper's waist. They entered the elevator and rode it up in silence, mostly because of how exhausted the two of them were. The moment the entered the room, Pepper slipped into the bathroom and exited with her nightgown, and Tony pulled on his pants and hopped into his sweats (he decided it wasn't best to sleep in his boxers).

The two of them crept into the warm plushy bed and snuggled close to each other. "Good night, Tony." Pepper mumbled into his chest.

"Good night, Pepper." Tony whispered back, kissing her head. And the two of them drifted off into the best sleep they ever had in their life.

**Sorry if this seemed rushed and boring! It's the first chapter and I promise it'll get better, eventually… Hehe. Thanks for reading!**

** Review for today: Tell me your favorite vacation you ever had (mine is the cruise, and Disney World).**

**REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: SOS

**0_0**

** Hello… My name is PercyJacksonLover14. Nice to meet you…? I—uh—It's a long story… And to be honest, I have neglected my duties as a writer, and for that I sincerely apologize. I haven't had to the time to write for a long time. It's been stressful, managing my last months of school, Wattpad, classes, and FanFiction. **

**FYI: This is just a quick little something…**

** I have been part of FanFiction for about 3-4 years. And never have I ever thought that I would be getting reads and reviews for some stupid stories I wrote. I never thought I would have followers, favoriters, and friends that I would make through a website full of millions of writers.**

** I just want to thank each and every one of you for reading my stories, and taking the time to review from something as simple as, "Update" to a huge paragraph. It means so much to me… so much that sometimes I sit and stare at the reviews tearing up.**

** All those reviews, I do my absolute best to respond back to in some way. Those "Guests" out there, I highly encourage you to get an account because I want to thank some of you so much for just reading and reviewing. If not an account, give yourself a name, because I want to make sure and call you out in my next updates. **

** I am SO honored to write for this website, and this section of FanFiction. My name was supposed to indicate that I would stick to only Percy Jackson, but this community makes me feel so much at home. **

** Sorry I'm rambling… but—thank you so much, guys. Thank you so much for what you made me become, and all the support through my stories. All those personal PM's and encouraging reviews keep making me focus on adding updates to my stories. **

** SilverPedal's put up a story recently, and I just thought to myself, "Okay, PercyJacksonLover, get your head out of the gutter and write a chapter! You've put this off for TOO long." And so—here I am. I am sincerely sorry for putting it off for this long. I don't know how many more times I will update, but we'll see.**

**Disclaimer: My Story… MINE! MINE! **

The soft sunlight poured through the hotel's blinds. Pepper shuffled around in bed, groggy and confused. Where was she? What was she—Oh!

Pepper's eyes shot open, and the grin quickly plastered on to her face. She turned her head towards Tony. He was still sleeping, his long lashes touched his cheek and his hair was a mess from the sleep.

"TONY!" Pepper hissed. She jerked off the cover's on her side of the bed, and sucked in a breath as the cold air brushed against her pale skin, before rushing over to Tony's side. She caught a glimpse of her hair in the large mirror, and saw strands of red sticking up in every which way on her head. She giggled before putting her hands on Tony's back.

One… Pepper dug her nails into Tony's back. Two… She lowered herself so her lips were right above Tony's ear. Three… "TONY!" She screamed. Pepper never saw someone jump as high as Tony.

He clutched his chest as he struggled to right himself, and get his bearings. The blankets wrapped around his body, limiting him from moving. "WHAT—WHA—I-" He fixed his blue eyes on Pepper, very slowly. Then without warning, he lashed out and secured his hands around Pepper's arms. He then pulled, having Pepper tumble back into bed.

The laughed as they had a massive tickle-fest. "Okay! I give—HEHE—UP!" Pepper screeched.

"That's right! That's what you get for waking me up, you little squirrel!" Tony said releasing her. Pepper sat up, crossing her legs on the bed.

"Squirrel?"

Tony chuckled, leaning back against the bed frame. "Look in the mirror. You look like a squirrel." Pepper pouted and threw her hands at Tony, resulting in another series of laughter.

"What's going on? Why did you wake me up? It's- " Tony glanced over at the clock. "It's seven in the morning."

Pepper shuffled out of bed quickly, running towards her luggage. She gathered her clothes, brush, and other toiletries before slipping on her slippers. "It's cruise day! We have to beat everyone to the boat! Get up!" She giggled before disappearing into the bathroom.

Tony had some time to stare out at the ceiling before deciding to get up and stretch. He let out an obnoxious yawn and padded his way towards the window.

The view from the hotel gave him direct line of sight to the Boston shoreline. It was only seven in the morning, but sure enough, in the distance, there was a boat cruising its way towards a docking port.

Judging by the distance, Tony guesstimated that the arrival time would be around nine or ten o'clock. So that left plenty of time for the two of them to grab some breakfast before running off towards the boat.

Tony stood there for a while before hearing the shower cut off from inside the bathroom. He quickly gathered all his clothes for his own, very much needed, shower and patiently sat on the edge of the bed.

"Buh- buh- buh- buh- buh! CRUISE timmmeeeee!" Pepper sang. Tony snorted and looked up at the ceiling to keep his laughter from resonating around the room to other hotel rooms as well.

"Buh- buh- buh- buh! Get your butt out of the bathroom!" Tony teased back. He heard Pepper drop her brush, and soon a head peeked out of the steaming bathroom.

With her red hair plastered against her neck, Pepper narrowed her eyes on Tony. "I'm watching you, Stark. One word and I can call my daddy to get me out of here!"

"Your 'daddy' can't help you once you're overseas, my dear. Now get out and do what you need to do out here. I still need to shower and get ready. I can see the boat from here."

She was out of that bathroom faster than a hare.

…

Tony slipped his towel around his waist and carefully dried his feet on the towel by the shower. He might've booked a five star hotel, but that didn't keep his germ-phobia from acting up every time he glanced at the tiled floor.

"Tony! I see the boat!" Pepper squealed. Tony didn't need to respond, because he knew she wouldn't care if he said anything one way or another.

Slipping on his shirt, Tony hopped into his jeans and let the gel run through his hair for his classic messy look. "Stark, you are one handsome dude." He said winking at himself through the mirror. "And you are also very strange." He added quietly.

Tony stepped out of the shower and stepped into his shoes. "Pepper, grab-" His voice broke as he glanced out the window at the largest ship he has ever seen.

Well… He's been on cruises before, and some were a lot larger than the one in front of him, but this was the most stylistic ship he's been on since he was a child. It was impressive, but at the same time classy.

"That's a big ship." Pepper ushered out. Her hazel eyes widened as she took in the enormous boat in front of her. She put her hands on the window, squashed her face against it and began peering towards the end. "I don't even see the back!"

Tony tapped her on her shoulder, jarring Pepper back to reality. "We better grab breakfast quick. If the boats already here, we want to move quickly to beat the crowd."

They both stuffed their suitcases up quickly and double-checked their hotel room for anything they might've left behind. Pepper was practically bouncing on the balls of her heels in excitement, but this wasn't Tony's first rodeo. He knew the consequences of moving quickly versus moving carelessly.

"We good? WE GOOD!" Pepper squealed, still staring at the boat in front of the window. Tony checked the bathroom one last time and pulled out his phone. Checking the time, he slipped it back into his pocket and nodded.

"We're goo—Aye!" Pepper seized his wrist and began bolting down the hallway. She made her way towards the elevator, but thought better of it, and began hopping down the stairs. "Pepper!" Tony called out, holding back a laugh. Her suitcase jostled around as it hit stair after stair. Eventually, the suitcase flipped over completely, giving up with staying upright, but Pepper kept going.

_If I don't move, too, I'll loose her completely. _Tony thought with a huge grin. Bounding after her, he pulled out his phone again and checked the time. There was about an hour left before the doors to the cruise would open and the cruisers would start boarding.

It actually wasn't a big deal. He made sure to get a pre-pack plan where the two of them would get "priority" and get to the front of the line. He hated using his money for a benefit like that, but out of all his years of experience, it was worth the extra pay.

…

Pepper wolfed down another muffin as she kept her eyes planted on the cruise ship in front of her. Tony tried moving in her view, hoping to get her to snap out of the joyous stance she was in, but failed when she moved her head to the other side of Tony.

"You think the view is great?" Tony asked, keeping a smile from his face. He pulled apart a warm double chocolate muffin and plopped one half into his mouth. He fixed his eyes on Pepper, and waited for a response.

"What it _isn't_ great?" Pepper questioned.

"Wait till you get _inside _the boat. That's when I'll let you gawk at a ship."

Pepper lowered her eyes to Tony's, and slowly narrowed them. A smirk played on her lips. "What's wrong with me gawking at a ship?"

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. I didn't say anything."

"You didn't."

"Absolutely not. What are you getting at anyways?" Tony asked, feeling a blush creep onto his face. Why was he blushing?

"Anthony Edward Stark, are you jealous that I'm _gawking_ at a _SHIP?_" Pepper's face split into a ridiculous grin. Tony felt the blush take full affect and looked away, plopping the other half of his muffin into his mouth.

"No." He mumbled.

"That's so cute. You're jealous that I'm _observing _a ship, and not observing you." Pepper shook her head and washed down her muffin with her apple juice. And for the first time since the ship pulled into port, she looked at Tony. "Sorry?"

Tony shook his head. The conversations they had sometimes… man he loved this girl. "Meh, it's not like the ship is anything compared to me!" He raised his arms and flexed his lean muscles. "Eh? Eh?" He lifted his eyebrows towards his muscles.

Pepper leaned forward and kissed him. "Beautiful. Now that we're done, let's get in line!"

They both dumped their leftovers into a trashcan before gathering their suitcases. Tony handed over the key cards to the front desk lady, and said he would come by in about a week's time to collect it from the valet.

Since the port was literally a block away, the two of them decided to spend that time to walk peacefully towards the shore. It seemed like no one really thought the boat would arrive that early, so there was barely a fuss when they walked up to the entrance.

"Priority this way, please. The rest, please make your way towards the back entrance over there." A hostess said. She smiled politely and watched as Tony and Pepper made their way towards her. "Welcome to the Royal Jewel! Are you a priority couple?"

"Yes, ma'am." Tony responded pulling out tickets. The woman quickly looked it over and nodded. She unhooked a rope and led the two of them inside.

"Walk right on through! There will be one check in point up there, but then from there you'll be right in!"

Pepper was so distracted and said, "Okay, thanks." She grabbed the tickets and ran towards the first check in point.

There were a total of three, security checkpoints, and through each one of them, Pepper jumped up and down in excitement. Many of the security guards regarded her with a grin before ushering them towards the terminal towards the boat.

"Almost there, Pepper. We just need to get our room keys, and we can hop on!" Tony's voice hitched, and he noticed that he was just as excited. His heart pounded with adrenaline, excitement rushed through his veins.

The line was short since Tony made sure to get the two of them in early. There were about ten attendants behind desks, and about six of them were occupied with guests.

Suddenly, Tony heard Pepper squeal out, "OW!" He turned back in alarm to see her clutching her shoulder and hopping on one foot.

"What happened?" Tony asked.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going! So sorry!" A man said. He stared at Tony, suddenly wary. "Oh gosh! This—I'm so sorry, sir! I forgot something back at the check in! I was rushing! I-"

"Calm down. It's fine. You probably just startled her that's all. You're lucky your early, no one is down there." Tony remarked looking over the man's shoulder.

The man smiled. "I'm David." He extended a calloused hand towards Tony, who firmly took it, giving a businesslike shake.

"Anthony. But call me Tony. Hope to see you around on the boat. You probably should go and get your—whatever you lost." David nodded and sped walked back the way he came.

"NEXT!" An attendant called out. Tony took Pepper's hands and walked up to the booth.

"Anthony Stark, and Patricia Potts, please." He said. The attendant typed away at his computer, flashing them a grin on occasion.

"First time?"

Tony shook his head. "Not mine. But for her, yeah. It's our anniversary." When the attendant gave them a skeptical look he quickly added, "Our year anniversary of dating. Should've worded that a little better, huh?"

"Congratulations. For two teenagers, that's a huge commitment." The attendant said handing them two silver key cards. "Since you are signed up for Platinum. These cards can access anything, anywhere. They are wired to Mr.—Mr. Stark's account, so these acts as your credit card as well as your room key card. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask our wonderful staff on board. Happy Sailing!"

Tony gave him a curt nod and dragged the awestruck Pepper towards the entrance terminal.

"Platinum?! PLATINUM CARDS?" She shook her head. "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you."

Tony looked back suddenly confused. "Why would you say that?"

"Tony… you spend so much on me. I—I could only get you that cheap watch for your birthday. And for my birthday you got me purses, shoes, and jewelry."

"Pepper, you fill my heart with joy. I'm rich, filthy rich. I haven't met a girl like you; someone who has little but is more than what she speaks. I only know how to spend money, and show love, but you only know how to show love and compassion. I don't deserve you, to be honest." He said looking forward.

He could already see the neon lights blaring from the opened doors of the ship.

Pepper slipped her hand into Tony's. "Then we're even. LOOK! LIGHTS!"

Tony grinned as he handed over the two key cards in his hands to the ship attendant. She scanned them both and smiled politely. "You're in luck. Being one of the first on board, the lines on the elevators are slim. Welcome aboard Royal Jewel. Your suite room will be located on the level 9, the highest level for cabin members. Just follow the lights towards the golden elevators, and go ahead and head up to your cabin. Enjoy your stay with us!"

Tony practically had to drag Pepper, as she stood frozen in spot. Her luggage dragged behind aimlessly as her eyes wandered the cavernous top of the cruise ship.

This was gonna be great.

But just as he was about to say it, Tony felt a shiver trail down his spine. It was the feeling he normally got when he was being watched or followed. Instinctively, he grabbed for his Iron Man backpack, but his fingers only brushed the fabric of his shirt.

Tony looked down and just saw his bare chest. Never in his life did he feel so naked. He depended on his Iron Man backpack too much. _Oh stop it, Stark. This is about you and Pepper. FOCUS! _He thought wildly to himself. He was just psyching himself out.

But he couldn't shake that uneasy feeling, all the way to the elevators.

**Sorry if it was boring! This is just a huge filler for the journey. Things will pick up by either the 4****th**** or 5****th**** chapter. I just wanted to let y'all know how the cruise thing worked, because it was such an incredible experience.**

** Thank you for reading! And as always REVIEW! **

**This is for SilverPedals1402…**

** My pen name. PercyJacksonLover14. It's a mouthful I know, but here is the reason for my penname, and how it came to exist! **

** So I've been an avid reader of Percy Jackson since I was in 3****rd**** grade, and I fell in love with Percy Jackson (check out my bio page because I mentioned that he is my fiancé). I had just finished reading "Son of Neptune" and was thinking, **_**oh my gods! I need to know more! **_**So I began looking up all these stuff about the next book. **

** Sure enough I stumbled across a FanFic about Percy Jackson, but I was actually thinking that it was **_**Rick Riordan**_** writing it because it was so good. Eventually I got an account because I wanted to read more and review, but not my anonymous. Thus Percy Jackson Lover. **

** 14 is actually a very common number for me in my life. If you divide it by 2 it's 7, which is my favorite number. My house and school ID numbers start with 14, so I've always used 14 as my username for everything.**

** Later I stumbled across Iron Man Armored Adventures on Netflix, and watched all of it. Then I thought, **_**if there is a Percy Jackson fanfic, is there an IMAA fanfic?! **_**And so… HERE I AM!**

** SilverPedals1402 asked this question, so I wanted to thoroughly explain it in this update like I promised her! Little more to know about me, huh? **

**Question of the Update: What would you save first: Your family's prestigious treasured item passed down for GENERATIONS or your new puppy?**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: SOS

**I'm just not going to say anything. I have physically said every excuse I know. **

** But… I graduated High School last Friday. 0_0 I know. This is both great news and bad news! Great because it is summer and I have all the time in the world to get some stories done and continue updating! Bad news because once college starts, I'm not exactly sure what it'll mean for my updates. **

** NO MATTER. This isn't the time to worry about that!**

** I would like to dedicate this chapter to Miss Starfire, thanks for dragging my butt and brain back to this story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my story.**

If Tony thought Pepper's reaction was fantastic from just entering the ship, he was mistaken.

The moment they entered the elevators, Pepper was permanently plastered with a smile on her face. He never saw her so happy, so this was really the greatest decision of his life. Anything that made her happy, made him happy.

"Oh! I can't wait! Which floor is our room in?" Pepper craned her neck to Tony, who was pushing the button "10". "What… The top floor?"

Tony stood back and stuffed his hands into his pockets, casually looking down at her. He pretended to be surprised and nodded, sarcasm slipping from his lips, "Oh no… Number 10? Oh! That's the floor where all the rich people stay in! My mistake… Of course I would _never _spend that much money for a suite room."

After a playful push, Pepper genuinely smiled up at him. It wasn't her excited smile, but her _I-love-you-more-than-the-entire-world _smile that she gave to her father often. "I don't know how to thank you, Tony. Coming from a poor family, I wasn't expecting to be treated this way for—for an anniversary."

Tony's smile disappeared as he noticed the insane amount of gratitude Pepper had. "Oh jeez, Pep. Really, this isn't a big deal! I just thought you wanted to have a good time, especially in some sun, since we don't get that often. It's seriously not a big deal. I woul—" Tony felt his lips seal around another warm pair.

After pulling away, he stood paralyzed, staring at Pepper. She grinned up at him. "I think this is our floor."

...

Since it was a suite room, it was towards the middle of the ship. Here they wouldn't feel the pulsing of the ocean or any kind of ocean rage that happened each time Tony was on a cruise.

He stepped in front of Pepper and stuck his keycard in before yanking it out quickly. The small indicator flickered red before snapping to a green, indicating that the key card matched the room.

"Ladies first." Tony smirked, pushing the door aside for Pepper to step in. It took a little nudging, but eventually Tony was able to push Pepper completely through the doorway. "Get used to it, because this will be our room for about 9 days."

Pepper opened her mouth in awe, and moved silently through the enormous room, dragging her bag behind her. Compared to the other rooms, that were about a third of a master bedroom, the Suite room was actually the size of a master bedroom. There was a Jacuzzi in the corner of the bathroom including a standing shower.

There were two sinks, with golden lights above each embroidered mirror. The whole bathroom was the size of a small bedroom. The theme was gold and bronze, so the hues almost had Pepper in tears.

She heard Tony pace outside the bathroom and realized, if that was just the bathroom how was the whole _suite _going to look like?

She cautiously walked out, afraid that she might faint if she caught sight of the room.

There was an enormous balcony that overlooked Massachusetts's port, and she could see the bustling people as they took pictures and waved wildly at the passengers boarding the ship. To the corner, there was a long couch that curved with the wall. A mahogany center table had magazines and strawberry covered chocolates sitting on a silver plate. A 50-inch TV was mounted on the wall, its remote also sitting on the table.

The bed… The bed was _huge. _It was circular, rather than rectangular, and had those cool nets tied to the bedposts that made Pepper think she was a princess from the fairy tales. She untied one of the nets and watched in marvel as it cascaded down the length of the bed until it covered one half of the bed. "Oh… my…" Pepper said softly.

Tony was leaning up against the glass wall that separated the room from the balcony. "What do you think?"

"What do I think?" Pepper turned to him. She smiled so much today, she wondered if she was secretly a Barbie. "WHAT DO I THINK? I love it, Tony! I can't believe this is where we'll be staying! It's—It's better than my apartment!"

Tony pushed off and slowly walked up to Pepper. He felt his eyes darken as he watched Pepper blush. "Only the best…" He softly said into Pepper's ear. She shuddered under his breath, but happily wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer to her body.

Grinning, Tony leaned in for a kiss. It started slowly, as the two of them adjusted themselves, but it quickly escalated. Huffs erupted from their mouths, as they got deeper into their kiss. But Tony was, surprisingly, the first to pull away. "Your dad said no funny business." Tony said recalling his quick conversation with Virgil before he left to Massachusetts.

Pepper frowned, reaching up and pulling on Tony's neck to pull him into another kiss. "I don't care. It's not like we're doing anything. It's just an intimate relationship between a girlfriend and a boyfriend."

And they went back at it. Tony, unfortunately, had tons of experience with making out with girls, thanks to him being a Stark. So without even opening his eyes or breaking the kiss, he stepped backward, pulling Pepper away from the bed. The last thing he needed was for Virgil to find out in some way that his girl was making out on the bed.

He waltzed her around the room, pushing her against the wall, before running her against the counter in the bathroom. Pepper didn't seem to mind at all; in fact she felt daring and wrapped her legs around Tony's waist.

It surprised him enough to pull away a second time. "Wow, around the waist?"

Pepper was as red as her hair. Her breathing was completely erotic. "Well I don't like what you do to me, Stark. You bring out the animal in me." She said a-matter-of-factly.

But before Pepper moved in again for a kiss, a large low sound resonated through the room. Pepper screamed and rushed herself into Tony's chest as she covered her ears. "What the heck was that?" She shouted. She was sure that a bomb had gone off, and she feared that if she turned around, half of the port would be disheveled with fire licking on the docks.

"Relax, Pepper." Tony said wrapping his arms around his girlfriend. "It's the signal that the boat is about to go."

Pepper looked up at him in wonder. Had they been in the room for that long? The kiss couldn't have gone on for that long right? Pepper cautiously checked her watch… THREE HOURS? "Um… Wow." She said gulping. That was the longest she has ever made out with anyone ever. She shrugged; _I guess time flies when you're making out with the hottest boyfriend ever. _

Tony pushed back, and pulled Pepper to feet. "Let me take you to the pool deck. You can say goodbye that way. Plus the view is killer." He said with a wink. Pulling Pepper behind him, Tony felt like a thousand bucks as he moved to the elevators.

The ship's crew moved around with big luggage that was required to be checked in. They smiled politely, but some noticed how messy Tony looked with his messier hair and lip-gloss smeared lips.

Tony pushed the "up" button on the elevator floor and frowned at his image on the mirror elevator door. He hastily rubbed the clear gloss off and ran his fingers through his hair once.

"My bad." Pepper said, noticing what Tony was doing. She blushed when he winked at her. As the elevator descended from the top floor, Tony felt something, or _someone_, watching him. Tony turned, scanning his eyes across the lobby.

Pepper picked up his anxiety immediately. "Hey, is anything wrong?"

Tony unconsciously slid his arm around Pepper's waist. "I don't know. I'm sure it's nothing." He said at last.

"It's not nothing if you are looking for something." Pepper stated. The elevator dinged, opening up to an empty carriage. "Hey, lucky us!"

Tony walked in, but didn't feel comfortable with anything. "You know… I really should've brought my suit." He said looking at Pepper. She was making faces at the mirror walls inside the elevator.

She stopped pulling at her hair and turned to Tony, "Well we already decided on not doing that. Do you think someone's here?"

"I—No. I don't think it's just someone; it's someone we may know? I'm not sure Pepper, but it's making me nervous." Pepper took Tony's hand noticing how anxious he became.

"It'll be okay. I'm sure it will—" The elevator opened. A man had his back turned to them. He wore a black leather jacket and dark jeans. His hair was wild, very much similar to Tony's.

When the man turned around, he perked up after noticing familiar faces. "Oh! Mr. Stark!" David said smiling. He entered the elevator and shook his hand with the genius. "Going up to say goodbye?"

Tony blinked with the word 'goodbye.' It sounded… strange the way he said it, as though he knew something the two of them didn't. "Uh, yeah. Pepper hasn't been on a cruise before, so I wanted her to see the view."

David glanced at Pepper, his eyes sparkled as he took Pepper's hand and kissed the top of it. "I apologize for my rude run in earlier."

Pepper blushed and retracted her hand to her side. "A little old fashioned." She said chuckling nervously.

Tony frowned, looking at David warily. He seemed to be in his thirties when he ran into Pepper back at the check in counter. But in front of him, Tony couldn't mistake him for more than twenty years old. How strange.

"So, David, right?" David nodded, politely smiling back at him. Tony felt a twinge of guilt for treating him suspiciously. "So, are you with anyone?"

Tony made the effort to look around David, to make it look as though he were curious about David's life. "Oh no, sir. I don't have a significant other, but I do have an interest." Tony did not like the way this guy was talking.

The elevator finally dinged, and before anyone could step out, David put a hand to the door, preventing the sensors to close before any of them could leave. "Ladies first." He said looking at Pepper. If Tony's frown could deepen, then his face would be a lot similar to the grumpy cat.

Pepper exited, not wanting to be rude to David. But her hand was enclosed around Tony's the entire time. David followed behind them, a dark look across his face.

"Here Pep, why don't we stand over there? By the railing. We'll get a good view of the Boston Harbor." Tony led Pepper towards the east side of the ship, placing a protective hand on her back. He glanced behind him, and was slightly startled to see that David wasn't there.

The front of the ship was towards Tony's left, and the back was towards his right. He led Pepper towards the middle of the ship, and let her hold onto the railings to look over the ledge. Tony turned, leaning his back against the metal bars and looked at the enormous pool that was in the center of the Party Deck.

There was an enormous water slide that snaked around the upper portion of the deck before leaning out over the ship and circling back to the pool. Most of the passengers were leaning over the railings to get a better look of the ship leaving, but there were few that were already chilling by the pool and drinking some beverages.

The horn sounded again, making many of the passengers cringe and cover their ears. Tony heard a distant cry of a child who was startled.

Then there was movement. It was jerky at first, and Tony secured his arm around Pepper's waist as he waved at the observers on the harbor. "BYE!" Pepper shouted excitedly. "Wow, I can't—I can't believe that we are actually GOING to another country… on a boat. I—thank you Tony."

"Anything for you." He said kissing the top of her head. They waved for a long time; just watching as the harbor slowly disappeared. The ocean water frothed wherever the boat went, and left a beautiful blue trail of upturned ocean water.

Eventually, two U.S. Coast Guard boats joined in sync with the boat, trailing along. At the very front, a man stood with his hands on an object that looked very close to an assault gun.

"What are they doing here?" Pepper asked curiously. She figured it was just to protect the ship, but she didn't understand anything past that.

"Well, they have to watch the ship until it crosses the water's into international territory. This boat is guaranteed protection until then. Also, the Coast Guard people are talking to the Captain, just gathering information to make sure that the ship is allowed to leave."

"Interesting."

Tony chuckled. "Yeah it is."

And just like that, _The Royal Jewel _passed the American border, into the unknown depths of foreign waters.

….

** Yay! I hope that was long enough, I am sincerely SO SORRY for the lack of updates. I literally have lost all sense of time and management, so yeah. I guess that's my way of trying to keep myself from freaking out about COLLEGE.**

** BUT… since it is summer, I will be updating, HOPEFULLY, a lot more frequently. I'll do it so I update at least every Monday. That way I have a deadline to make with my stories!**

** Thanks for sticking with me, and thank you certain writers and readers for PMing me from time to time! **** HAVE A FABULOUS DAYYYYY!**

**REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: SOS

**Hello! Yes I am indeed alive! I just wanted to get this update in because I HAD TO WRITE THIS. Partially because Miss Starfire demanded it so, and well I don't know when I'll have the time to write anymore.**

**I'm not quitting, it's just that I'm moving to my dorm tomorrow… and I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to sit down and write another chapter or such… BUT WE SHALL SEE!**

**Anyhoozies, thanks for those still reading! I'll do a shout out in the next chapter because I still have things to pack! OH AND HAPPY BACK TO SCHOOL DAY FOR YOU STUDENTS!**

**P.S. One bad word shall be used! :O I know… Scandalous. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my story! It's true… I swear.**

Tony continued leaning on the railing, looking over the harbor. The humid Boston air made his hair act weird and had it die to a flattened style that made him look Goth. With a scoff, he turned to Pepper, whose eyes resembled a child looking at a humongous lollipop.

"Oh! They're turning back!" Pepper exclaimed pointing to the coast guard boat. It did stop, slowly swirling the murky waters behind them. And once _The Royal Jewel _passed a buoy, the boat turned around and sped back to shore.

Tony felt a shudder cruise down his spin (no pun intended). HE just realized that they were in international waters. Laws and rules didn't apply in another country the same way they did in America. There were things he wouldn't be able to do, such as attacking personnel if he felt threatened. Because that didn't apply overseas, and he would be arrested and deported back in a heartbeat.

Plus, if someone were to get hurt on board, or something drastic happened, they were miles away from shore and it would take days for a rescue party to come get them.

Maybe it was for the best that Tony didn't think about all those things. And he didn't, because Pepper was suddenly not next to him.

"Pepper?" Tony kept his tone calm, but couldn't keep the panic that spread through his body. "Pepper? Where are you?" He raised his voice an octave.

His eyes quickly started scanning the crowd, and boy he was never so grateful for being Iron Man. He often depended on his own sight when flying over Manhattan, and it wasn't all easy either. His sight became more focused on details, such as the red of Pepper's hair, and that became his sole objective.

Find the redheaded female.

It wasn't even five minutes into the departure, and Tony already lost sight of her. But soon, his ears picked up a faint laughter in his proximity. It was Pepper's laugh for sure, but what exactly was she laughing at?

After locating his girlfriend, Tony was both surprised and not surprised that David was next to her. He was leaning against the railing that overlooked the massive pool in the middle of the party deck, arms crossed over his muscular chest. The leather jacket tugged on his arms, revealing muscles, which seemed to be flexing in Tony's opinion.

Pepper was right in front of him, obviously laughing, but also indicating that her guard was up. She was well away from David, her arms across her chest, and legs apart in a stance that said, "Don't test me."

"Pepper!" Tony called, walking up to her. He slid an arm around her waist, drawing her to his side. Never did he feel so relieved.

Pepper stifled her giggle, and smiled at David before looking at Tony. But her smile quickly disappeared after noticing Tony's look. She turned to him, placing a hand on his chest. "Hey, you okay?"

Tony nodded, warily glancing up at David, who only smiled in both of their directions. "Yeah, it's just you just walked away without really telling me where you were going. I got worried is all."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I did say that I saw David and wanted to say hello. I guess you didn't hear me?" Pepper reasoned. The wind on the top deck was relentless, and they did have to talk in somewhat of a higher register to be heard. Maybe he didn't hear her?

He gave a nod, forcing on a smile. "You're probably right. Sorry, just overreacting."

"You're not, sir." David said, jumping in. He pushed off the railing and tucked his hands into his black leather jacket, bouncing on his heels. "On a big boat like this, you would want to know where your girl is at any time… anywhere."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tony asked, more harshly than he intended to sound. It wasn't like David actually did anything; it was more that the way he behaved gave Tony some anxiety.

David's smile didn't disappear, if anything, it became more amused. "Well, Mr. Stark, we are far from home. And there are thousands of people on this boat alone. If you came with someone, then, well, you would want to keep them in your line of sight, don't you think?"

His eyes darkened, entailing something darker, something important. Was that supposed to be a clue to something? What did he mean?

Tony narrowed his eyes. His grip on Pepper became stronger, and he realized how silent she was, cautious about commenting between the two men. "That's true. But it seems as though you have no one to look after, David."

David looked taken aback by the question, but it was too quick for Tony to see if anything changed on his smirking face. "Ah, yes. I indeed did come alone, but that's only because I'm picking someone up at our first stop. I already paid for their tickets, it's just a matter of meeting and picking up."

Tony didn't say anything, but tugged Pepper away from David. "Okay then. Pepper and I are going to go back to our room. We have things to do, and plan, so hope to see you around, David."

"Don't worry, Mr. Stark, you will."

…

"What was that all about?" Pepper asked cautiously. She sat on the edge of the bed, drawing her legs up onto the sheets.

They came right back to the room, just as Tony said, and they've been here for over fifteen minutes. Tony was digging through his bag, pulling out gadgets that Pepper hadn't realized he packed.

Tony didn't look up at her; his focus was solely on something in his bag. "I don't like that guy."

"What, David?" Pepper asked surprised. What was wrong with him? There didn't seem anything out of order, other than the fact that he seemed very… guarded. "Oh come on, Tony. You're really overreacting. What is wrong with him that you don't like?"

"You didn't notice the way he talked? Especially about you?"

Pepper frowned. So far this anniversary wasn't going as planned. "He never said anything about me."

Tony growled in frustration, dropping his bag to the floor. "Damn… I thought I had the phone in there." He turned his attention to his girlfriend, who was carefully watching him from the bed. Tony had no intention of startling her, but he couldn't help but feel protective every time David was near them. "Pepper… I don't know okay. I just… I'm getting a bad vibe from him. This whole cruise just doesn't feel right."

He quickly noticed how her eyes fell, and her cheeks flush. "Oh, Pepper, not like that! It's not because of you… or because of… him." Tony came to her, sat on the edge of the bed, and placed a gentle hand on Pepper's shoulder. "I can't help but feel concerned about something. Whether or not it's dangerous, I feel like something is off, and well, I promised your dad to keep you safe."

Pepper's hand came up to cradle Tony's cheek. She brushed her thumb across his jaw line, forcing out a smile. "I know. But, please, forget about it? For me? If something happens, then fine. But nothing is happening. So forget about it, and let's get some lunch."

Before Pepper could make a move to leave, Tony snagged her around the waist and slammed her onto the bed. He moved to be on top of her and smirked down at her shocked face. "How about we order room service?"

…

The boat had been across the sea for over five hours.

Tony and Pepper enjoyed lunch in their rooms, and stepped out onto the balcony to watch the setting sun and the blue waves crash against the hull of the ship.

Later that evening, they even decided to go out for dinner. It was in the VIP lounge that was hosted right below the Captain's Deck. It overlooked the ocean, and the party deck. Since it wasn't the fancy night yet, Pepper and Tony dressed in semi-casual wear, eating delicious cuisines made by the chef himself.

After dinner, they walked hand in hand back to their room, ready to turn in for the night.

Pepper was already in her night shorts and a tank, and Tony was already in his PJs too. He slipped on his robe before pushing back the balcony door to step out with Pepper. He put a hand on Pepper's waist, leaning against the guardrails that kept passengers from tumbling out into the ocean.

"Wow, that's some sunset." Pepper said, watching as the orange fireball sank below the water's horizon. Beautiful shades of purple, blue, red, and orange ombred across the sky, darkening in shades until there was nothing but black and stars.

Tony kissed the top of her head, pulling her into his body. "Yeah. But of course, nothing can beat you." He gave her a wink and kissed her.

Just after pulling away, Pepper let out a yawn. "I never thought going on a cruise would result in so much walking from place to place." She said smiling up at him. She grabbed Tony's hand pulling him inside with her. "How about we go to bed? That way we can go to the pool in the morning!"

"Sounds good, Pep."

And they slept like no other once their heads crashed onto the pillows.

But the sleep didn't last long. Because, suddenly, a scream resonated outside in the hallway.

**BOOM! A cliffhanger! I'm evil, I'm cruel, but I'm sure you know what just happened? I apologize for the bad word there, but it seemed fitting in that situation! **

**Please tell me what you think! I'm moving in tomorrow, so I'll have to see when I'll get some time to write more! I'm sure I will, but I make promises and never keep them… **** Sorry! **

**Thank you for reading as always…. Y'all are fabulous in every way possible, and I enjoy every review I get. Thank you so much for sticking through this story! And thank you to all those who review!**

**Shout out in the next update!**

**REVIEW! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: SOS**

** I have RISEN! Yes, I am not dead, and I have not been kidnapped by ninja monkeys. Let me just say… the first semester of college was KILLER. Sure I had fun (lots of fun actually), but… WHAT THE HECK, those classes were just… never mind. **

** It has been way too long since my last update, which was like in AUGUST, so why not write another chapter on New Years? I'm not gonna make a resolution and say "I will update EVERY WEEK!" Because I already know that's not going to happen. So I'll just say, I'll do my best to put out a chapter AT LEAST every month, if not every 2. **

** Thank you for all those who have stayed with me through this story and my absence! **

** SHOUT OUTS:**

**SilverPedals1402****: Yes my cliffhangers! My bad my bad… Haha! Thank you for that wonderful welcome back! XD I appreciate it! And yeah, sometimes even I forget that I'm a college student! You have a FABULOUS day too!**

**Twitchyness****: Thank you very much! Here's another chapter (after so long… My sincere apologizes)**

**Shamrock****: GASP! RICK RIORDAN! What a compliment! Thank you so much! Yes, indeed they wait ETERNITIES, my poor readers… Watch out for David… He can be a tricky one… Thank you so much! xD Whoops not really an "early" update I guess.**

**Pepper210****: Gracias! ****Gracias! Si ... Me he tomado mi tiempo, pero ahora estoy pensando que tomó demasiado tiempo! xD Apreciar la opinion agradable!**

**Miss Starfire****: May I just say I nearly died when you said you were reading my story on the toilet! XD Yes, I live for the same, I'm just that kinda person who just needs to have some heart wrenching before the happy ending! ;) Thank you so much!**

**Thank you again! Onto the story…**

**Disclaimer: Not this again…. **

…

Tony shot up in his bed, looking at the direction of the scream. He didn't hesitate a moment as he jumped out of the bed, reaching for his robe that lay neatly on the couch. He heard a shuffle next to him, and didn't need to look to know that it was Pepper who was also getting ready.

"Please tell me you didn't hear that." Pepper wished, her eyes heavy with sleep. She managed to pull on a jacket, and slip her feet into the flip-flops that were by the nightstand.

Tony slipped on his night slippers, and grabbed his room key before running to the door. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't hear that." The two of them entered the hallway, along with the other passengers who have woken to the scream.

There were mumbles from the older passengers, as they spoke in hushed tones about what it could've been. "Hey, have any ideas what's going on?" A man to the right of Tony asked.

"Haven't got the slightest idea. Just woke up." Tony quickly responded. Pepper was behind him, clinging to his arm. "Pep, do you have an idea which direction that scream came from?"

Just before she spoke, a steward walked into the hallway, his arms out, warding the passengers from exiting their rooms. "Please! Please, guests, stay in your rooms. We will announce when you can come out." His eyes were red, probably because he was woken up as well. His white uniform was wrinkly and poorly put together, also indicating the speed at which the man got out of his room.

"We need to see what's going on." Tony whispered to Pepper. He felt her squeeze his arm in agreement, and as one the two of them quickly took off in the opposite direction of the steward.

"Hey! Wait! Go back to your room!" Came the fading man's voice. Tony and Pepper took a quick right into the hallway that directly led them to the elevators. They knew that the steward wouldn't follow, because his main priority was the keep the other passengers in their rooms. Two escapees wasn't as big of a problem as one hundred.

Tony stopped, thinking really quickly about the situation at hand. A scream in the middle of the first night was definitely something to investigate. Sure, the scream could mean a lot of things. It could've been a child playing, or maybe the child fell and got hurt. There were also… other reasons a woman would've screamed, if that were a woman.

"Do you really want to get into this, Tony?" Pepper asked, her hands on her hips. Her eyebrows were drawn upward, worried and anxious. She wanted answers too, but not at the risk of her losing her vacation time with Tony. "We could leave this with the security on board, you know."

A soft sigh escaped from his lips. His hand flew through her hair, confusion also taking root in his head. "Pepper, you know how much I want to spend time with you. But you also know who I am… I don't think I can stand not helping. Plus we're in international waters, all the security can do is keep everyone from panicking until the next stop."

"God, and the next stop is in two days, isn't it?" Tony nodded, stroking the back of his neck and chin alternatively.

Suddenly, a man walked into the corridor and stared at Tony with wide eyes. "Please, please help me! PLEASE!"

His heart pounding, Tony quickly walked up to the man. He noted the red eyes and sweat pouring from his forehead. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"My wife! Please help!" Without another word, the man grasped Tony's wrist and dragged him the way he came. Tony followed, his heart catching in his throat. He quickly prepped himself for what he was about to see; because there was no way it was going to be a simple injury.

The man was still running, his hand tightening around Tony's wrist. He was running in the direction of the portside of the cruise ship. And it was the dark patch on the carpet that gave away which room the passenger resided in.

Tony felt Pepper put her hands reassuringly on his back, as though to comfort him, though he knew she was just hoping to hide from whatever was inside. "Pepper stay out here, okay? I'll let you know when to come in."

The man was already inside, tears streaming down his face. "Please…" He pleaded, falling to the floor. "She—oh god… please." It was as though the world moved in slow motion. As Tony entered the room, he took notice of the busted keycard lock that was at the front of the door. From the sight of it, that meant that it was opened by force, brute force.

The body was on the bed, the covers removed. She was wearing her silky nightgown, and the color was green before it was stained with her blood. Her stomach was littered with stab wounds. Tony rushed to her side, looking for a pulse, and when his forefinger felt a weak one, he quickly pulled the woman to the ground and began chest compressions.

"She's alive?" The man crawled over, grabbing his wife's hand in his own. "Gina, please, please come back to me. I love you, Gina, I love you so much." Tony didn't stop; continuing the compressions until the man physically stopped him. "It's okay… just let her go." Tony sat back, stunned.

He allowed the husband to grieve, and watched silently as the man kissed his wife's head and lips, drawing her hand to his chest. "I don't know what happened…" He said at last.

"What do you remember?" Tony asked, standing to look at the room. It was smaller than his, put it was another suite room. The bathroom was to the right, the moment he entered, and the bed was to the side of the room, pushed against the far right wall.

The man sat back, letting his wife's hand fall to the ground. "This was our honeymoon trip, we got married last month." Tony's heart fell at the thought of Pepper dying during this trip. He loved her, and if he lost her like this man did, he didn't know what he would do.

"I'm sorry." Tony managed.

"We were getting ready for bed. I was in the bathroom, and Gina was in bed, reading a book. I was washing my face, and I heard a loud smash. I thought it came from the hallway outside, maybe a steward dropping something, but when Gina yelled out my name, I realized that someone was in the room.

"I ran to the door, and when I tried opening it, I realized that it was locked from the outside. I didn't think it was possible, but it wasn't budging. I tried slamming against it, hoping to bust it open, but after Gina screamed, the door just—opened." Tears welled in his eyes, as he chocked for air.

Tony gulped, afraid to know the rest of the story. "Did you see who or what killed her?"

"No, I walked out and just saw blood on the floor. Gina was alive until then, and one look on her face told me it was someone she recognized. She was whispered something, and all I heard was the letter 'D'. I don't know who it was, and before I could ask… she—she—" He starting crying again. Tony lightly patted his shoulder, consoling him in some way.

"Don't worry we'll catch the man. I'm a—a 'detective' from New York. I'll pay for another room, all right? Come on. What's your name?"

"Mathew, sir."

Tony led Mathew outside, where Pepper leaned against the wall, checking her nails. She pushed off once she noticed the blood on both of the men. Instead of questioning, she put on a soft smile. "My name's Pepper."

"This is Mathew. We're taking him to the infirmary." Tony instructed.

…

"His wife…" Pepper whispered, sitting on the bed. Tony and Pepper were back in their room after dropping Mathew back in the infirmary. He gave the staff working, the room number where the man lived, and softly explained that there was a woman that died in the room.

Tony paced the room, his mind racing. There was only one name he kept thinking of after Mathew had said his wife uttered the letter, 'D.' He left that detail to himself, especially knowing that Pepper wouldn't appreciate it if he bashed on David any longer.

"Did he say anything else about his wife, any clues maybe?"

Tony frowned. "No." He lied. "He just said his wife was whispering something, but couldn't hear it. All he knew was that his wife knew the man that entered the room."

"You're gonna look into this aren't you?" Pepper laid back on the bed, her voice letting out the disappointment.

Tony sighed, looking at his girlfriend. He already changed his clothes, tossing the bloody ones in the trash. "Pepper, I got involved in it. I'm not just gonna let this go. What if something happened to you?"

She sat up. "What if something happened to you, Tony? Don't make this about me. I love you just the same. Same goes for when we were home. You know how scared I am every time you are out? I don't want anything to happen to you."

Tony went to her, and took her face in his hands. He fingered her soft cheeks, looking into her hazel eyes. "Pepper, I love you too. Trust me, I'll be okay. I promised Mathew I would solve this. She died on their honeymoon, it isn't right." He kissed her, softly at first then with hunger, drawing in her every breath.

He loved her he really did. But unfortunately, he felt something was wrong, and not only because Gina was murdered, but because he felt that it was going to affect him.

Affect Pepper.

…

The next morning, it seemed like everything was back to normal. The room Gina was murdered in was cleaned up during the night, after the nurses told the staff about what happened. Mathew was given a new room, all expenses paid for.

And no one knew what happened.

"Heard about what happened?" Tony's neighbor asked. Tony shook his head, acting oblivious to the situation.

"Heard that a snake entered the room, and woman freaked out. She got bit too. Or something like that... Heard it from the man across the hall."

"Wow, intense. Did they catch the snake?"

The man laughed, shrugging. "Don't know, but I know for sure that these doors will be closed all the time now." He said rapping his knuckles against his room's door.

Pepper walked out behind Tony, dressed in her shorts and tank top. Her aviators rested on her head. "Haha looks like you'll need to do the same, Tony." She teased, smiling lightly at the man.

"Yes ma'am, you two have a lovely day."

The two walked to breakfast, silently. The matter from last night still hadn't left their minds. They went to sleep shortly after, but not peacefully. Pepper was restless, and eventually decided to doze out on the balcony. Tony didn't sleep the entire night. He was turned away from Pepper, crying. He hadn't expected to see a man losing his wife, and that only made him fear for Pepper more. The thought of losing her scared him more than anything.

At breakfast, they ate a small meal. Pepper stuck to having a bagel and coffee, and Tony decided on a chocolate muffin. "Well what do you want to do today?" Pepper asked, sipping on her coffee.

Tony glanced up, having come out of a trance. "Well today we're out at sea, so it's whatever you want really. What do you have in mind?"

A loud crash sounded from the kitchen, as a steward dropping dirty plates on the floor. Tony flinched and sighed. "We can relax at the pool?" Pepper suggested.

"Sure, let's go change." He got up without another word, and took Pepper's hand. The weather was superb outside, with the ocean blowing a soft warm breeze over the open food deck. The sun was shining brightly, letting warm rays wash over the deck and the passengers onboard.

As they waited for the elevator, someone cleared their throat. Tony squeezed his eyes shut, recognizing the voice. "David." He said turning around. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Getting breakfast just like the rest of you." He responded with a smile. Tony's anger flared, and his grip tightened around Pepper. "Good morning, Pepper."

"Morning, David. Excuse, Tony, he didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

David nodded, his smile disappearing. "The scream? Yeah, news travels fast on a boat. Heard a woman died last night." Tony looked at him surprised. He remembered one of the security details reassuring him that no one would be told about the murder.

"Died?" Tony and Pepper exchanged glances. "Uh… how?"

David shrugged. "Rumors say a snake."

Pepper nodded in false agreement. "I heard the same. Keep your doors closed tonight." She giggled, but stopped after seeing Tony's side-glance at her. "So, uh, what are your plans for today?"

The elevator dinged, and Tony stepped inside, drawing Pepper with him. She, however, pushed against him, standing outside with David. "I plan on walking the deck. See what the cruise has to offer me. And maybe catch a show or two onboard. What about you, Pepper, any plans?"

"Yeah, Tony and I were going to go to the pool for the morning. Not sure about the afternoon and evening, but maybe if there's a show later, we can all go together?" Pepper smiled. Tony held the elevator with a hand, his face going red. She made a plan with him, and that only meant that Tony would have to see that moron again tonight.

David looked at Tony with a smirk as he said, "Sounds like a date."

…

"Really?" Tony asked once the two got back into their room.

"What?"

"You made a plan with him? Was that very necessary?"

Pepper shot him an annoyed look, "Why do you hate him so much, Tony? David is polite, and has done nothing wrong. What the heck is wrong with you?"

Tony drove his hand into his back, pulling out his swimming trunk and the white shirt he would wear until he got to the pool. "What's wrong with me? How can you fall for all that sweet talk? He's trouble, Pepper, I know it." He turned to her, and watched as she pulled out her own suit. She tucked it into her cover up and snorted.

"Please don't tell me you're jealous right now."

Tony felt his face get red with embarrassment. Was that the reason he bashed on David so much? He seemed to get a lot of attention from Pepper, and he certainly talked to her a lot more than he talked to him. "No! That's not true. I'm just saying he's trouble."

Pepper shook her head, heading to the bathroom. "Whatever. Okay, just change, we can cool off at the pool." She shut the door behind her, her face dropping in shame and disappointment.

Most likely because of Tony's immature behavior.

Tony looked down at his clothes, ashamed at his own behavior. He spent more time bickering with Pepper than he really did enjoy anything. He was distracted and seemed to be interested more with other situations than his own girlfriend. And any moment he spent with her, he kissed her and teased her, and that was it.

He was definitely not being the ideal boyfriend at the moment.

Tony shimmied out of his shorts and pulled on his trunks, adjusting himself before removing his shirt for his white one. By the time he slipped on his flip-flops, Pepper was out, her arms protectively covering her chest. "Hey, I'm sorry for—uh—accusing you." She said softly.

Tony stood, shaking his head. "No it's me. I'm just overreacting, when I should really just enjoy the time I have with you. Alone." He smiled and let Pepper walk into his embrace. Kissing the top of her head softly, he sighed. "I'll be better, I promise. I—I was just going with my gut instinct."

"Sometimes it's better to listen to that gut instinct, than your whiny girlfriend." She laughed.

"Sometimes that girlfriend is right. Come on, let's go."

…

The pool was fairly empty, with only a sprinkle of families dotting the bigger pool. There was a smaller pool on top of the bigger one, with a slide connecting the two of them.

Since the bigger one was closer to the poolside deck, parents and kids were crawling around there, screaming and shouting as the water sloshed around. Tony and Pepper found the smaller pool to be empty, so decided to stick around there for the majority of the morning before having to shower and get ready for the rest of the day.

Tony chose a lawn chair and carelessly threw his towel on the chair. He kicked off his shoes and pulled out his phone from his trunk's pocket. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and whipped it over his head, and took a moment to pride in his workout sessions. Thankfully, his Iron Man job kept him fit, but he decided to hit the gym to further improve both his health and look.

And boy did it pay off.

He slid his _Ray Ban_ aviators into place, and hopped into the pool. The sun warmed up the pool, so it didn't take too long for him to adjust to the temperature.

When he turned to call for Pepper, he saw her also stripping from her cover- up. And his jaw dropped at the surprise of what she was wearing underneath.

It was a sleek pink one-piece halter, with the sides cut off at the sides, exposing her lean stomach. There were a couple of criss-crossing strings that pulled at the back of her suit, giving it some kind of support.

But she looked absolutely stunning in that modern swim- suit. Pepper saw him staring and did a quick model pose, pushing out her hips. "Well what do you think?" She teased.

Tony grinned, and he opened his mouth to say something, but got interrupted with, "You look stunning."

Pepper blushed, and brought her arms to cover her midsection. She slowly stepped into the water, and sunk beneath the water, so that only her upper chest and head were out of the water. She stared at Tony with careful eyes, letting him know exactly who it was.

Tony breathed in slowly, not wanting to lose it. "Once again, David, nice to see you." He turned in the water and pushed his sunglasses on his head. David was standing over him, buff toned arms against his chest. He was in his own swimming trunk, without a shirt, and Tony had to admit the dude looked a lot better than he did. Abs dotted his abdomen, and his body was one to kill for.

All of a sudden those gym sessions didn't seem all that awesome. David laughed. "Always in the strangest circumstances, Mr. Stark. And before you ask, I was already for a while. I stepped out to get a bite to eat, and when I came back, imagine my surprise to see Pepper and you by the pool."

Tony gritted his teeth and let a smile slip. "Yeah… one could imagine."

Pepper stride next to Tony and put a hand on his stomach. She pushed up close to him, letting him know her loyalty and love were to him and no one else. That gave him some courage and love back at her.

"I was planning on getting some pool-side drinks, want anything? It'd be on me." David popped into the pool, spraying Tony in the face. He blinked slowly, and ran a hand through his face, pushing the droplets back into the water.

"I think we'll be okay." Pepper piped up. She saw the annoyance on Tony's face, and didn't want to risk him bursting out on David. "We just had breakfast, so we're okay, thanks."

David leaned back against the pool's wall, and put his arms up against the floor. His arms were _huge_ compared to Tony's, and that was enough to make him jealous. David seemed to have noticed, because a smirk played across his lips. "Love the trunks." He said gesturing to Tony's swimsuit.

Tony slipped on his sunglasses and muttered thanks under his breath. Every time he hopped for some privacy with Pepper it was constantly interrupted with this idiot. It seemed that the only way to escape him was in their room.

A shiver travelled down Tony's back as he thought of David being in their room when he wasn't. What if Pepper was in their at the same time too?

"So, I got a catalogue for the ship's week activities. There are tons to do on board. Did you guys happen to find anything to do?" asked David, breaking the awkward silence.

Pepper shook her head. "We planned on just walking the deck, and getting familiar with the boat." That was a lie, a very smooth lie. "It's huge, so we decided on doing that before hitting up any activities."

A nod. "That's a good idea. Is this your first cruise?"

"Yes, it's her first time. We're celebrating our first year anniversary, so I thought it was a great idea to take her out on something she never did before." Tony responded. He kissed Pepper's cheek.

He was probably overdoing it, but ever since they met David, he's been nothing but trouble. At least to Tony.

David smiled. "That's wonderful. What better way to celebrate the first anniversary than an expensive 9- day cruise trip across the ocean to different countries, huh?"

Tony narrowed his eyes, thankful that the sunglasses covered his accusing glare. "Yeah…"

And suddenly, another shrill scream.

…

**I'm back with a full force of douchery! What a long chapter! I think this is my longest yet for a chapter, so WHIPPY! Hope you guys liked it. **

** Okay, so I'm going to admit even with myself that I really HATE DAVID. He's my own character, but dang, if he really existed… Yeah no.**

** Hope all of you had a safe and happy New Years and Christmas (or any other holiday). Sorry for such a long wait! I really hope to get better with all my updating stuff. I really don't like taking forever to update, but sometimes I just can't help it (blame college… okay not really… just blame me xP) **

** HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A FANTASTIC DAY!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: SOS

**This update was a little soon don't you think? :) I promise guys, I am doing my best. I don't want to let y'all down, and reading through the last chapter made me feel like I am. There are so many errors! *cringe*. Anyway… I'm just going to get along with the story.**

**BUT WAIT: So… Any PC gamers out there? In particular, Five Nights at Freddy's fans? There are haters and lovers, but I did go ahead and watch a play through of the game by my favorite youtuber, and WHOOOOO DOG. That's kinda the reason I wanted to write something tonight haha. Funny right?**

***I will do shout-outs for the next update for SOS!***

**Disclaimer: I don't really own much. Just my computer… and phone… and… yeah no not much. **

**…..**

David, Tony, and Pepper froze in their spot and turned their heads in the same direction. It was like the world stopped regardless of movement around them. The fear that clutched Tony's heart made it almost unbearable.

"Careful honey!" Another female voice shouted. And suddenly the fear was replaced with confusion. Tony and Pepper exchanged looks as they saw a small boy screaming as he slipped down the cruise's pool slide. The scream didn't indicate a death or murder, but just excitement and joy from a child.

Tony felt Pepper's hand squeeze his under the water. He hadn't noticed that he was clutching the step that he was sitting on until he felt his girlfriend's hand reassuringly lift it off. David looked disturbed as he gazed at the child. But that expression was quickly replaced with his cool boy features that gave Tony the creeps.

"Ah… cruise's just bring the family's all together." He said looking down at the couple. Pepper nodded, giving him a small smile but her face showed that she was shaken by that scream. The night before was still on her mind.

It was still the morning, and a restless night that kept the couple on edge. They hadn't expected the scream last night or now, and hearing it brought back memories for them.

Memories they wanted buried deep in their mind.

David scooted around the edge of the small pool, just until he was opposite of Tony. He put one hand down on the edge and sunk into the water so swiftly, there was only a small ripple in his wake. Tony stared on, wrapping his mind of why he hated this guy so much. "Didn't you say you wanted a drink?" He said instead, hoping to relieve the itch in his gut.

A shrug, and a smirk. "Yeah, but, you know I don't feel like it anymore. I'd rather talk. I mean, the drinks are twenty-four seven, so not like I can't get some tonight. Am I right?"

"That sounds about right." Pepper replied. She wasn't pressed against Tony anymore, but instead sitting on her hands and leaned forward in her conversation pose. "Did you make anymore friends on board?"

David grinned, pleased to have gotten the attention from one of the two. "Yeah I have. I talk to who ever I meet. I know the mother up there" he nodded his head at the mother of the screaming child. "She sits next to me at the dining hall. I also know Mathew, and heard his wife died."

A man in a neat white uniform carried a tray up to the pool side and bent down to David and handed him a drink. David took the drink and looked at it with a frown. "I'm sorry, but I didn't order this."

The man smiled politely and gestured towards the table by the mini-bar where a man and woman raised similar glasses up in the air and let out a hoot. "It's on us!" The man hollered, obviously already having drunk one too many.

David grinned and raised his drink to them. "Thanks Mary! Ben! Heres to you!" The three took a sip and laughed, going back to their business. David chuckled. "I met those two yesterday too. It was when we were moving into our rooms, actually. Mary and Ben are newly weds."

"Aw, that's great." Pepper said, looking up at Tony with her cute eyes. She was hinting at how they were celebrating their first year anniversary. It warmed Tony's heart that the married couple remembered Pepper of them.

Tony scooted closer to his girl, and draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her back to his side. "So…" David asked, after a while. "Did you hear how Mathew's wife died?" It seemed strange how the dark topic was brought up again, especially after a distraction from Ben and Mary.

The genius decided he wanted to answer this question. "We heard rumors of a snake."

David looked at the inventor in disbelief. "A snake. You're telling me a _snake_ killed his wife? A snake, its venom so powerful that it killed the woman in mere seconds."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tony countered, not appreciating the demeaning tone.

"I'm just saying, man. A snake bite would take a _lot _longer to kill a woman. I mean the deadliest takes twenty minutes." David leaned forward, casting sideway glances to the left and right to make sure his words wouldn't be caught by anyone else. "I heard she was murdered."

Pepper and Tony both recoiled at his words. There was no way he would've known that, not unless he was right there at the scene or one of the few that knew the real secret. And the few have opted to move to another floor in order to keep the secret safe.

"How do you know that?" Tony asked finally.

David shrugged, taking down his drink in one giant gulp. "Again, just rumors. It's something that came up." He hiccuped. "Anyway, excited for a day out at sea?"

"I suppose we are." Pepper chirped up, trying to ease the discomfort of the new found news.

"You suppose? You can't 'suppose' on a cruise, Pepper." David laughed. "You just have to have fun! There's a party on the deck this evening, come to that. It'll be fun."

Pepper looked at Tony and then back at David, obviously trying to make a decision for the two of them. "Um… yeah sure, why not."

"Awesome. It starts at around sunset, so it's gonna be fun."

"Okay, I guess. We may not stay long. We want to turn in early, we didn't get much sleep last night."

David nodded, standing from his position. The water dripped from his wet body, glistening as the sun caught his chiseled body. Once again, Tony watched silently in envy, wanting so desperately to keep Pepper from gazing at the man in front of him.

The chiseled man shook out his arms, running a hand down each limb, wringing the water back into the pool. He lifted a hand and dragged it across his hair, more lose water running down his face and neck. It was one of those fantasies women had when they pictured their dream man emerging from a pool as they lounged on the pool side tanning.

Tony gritted his teeth to keep his rage in control. As his jealousy was about to get the most of him, David raised a hand in farewell, "See you too later," and walked away while towel drying his hair.

"Wow he's something isn't he?" Pepper asked quietly.

Tony frowned, his eyes still focused on the black swimming trunks that soon disappeared from view. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying he's a little over the top."

He snorted. "You think? Another reason why I don't like him."

"Don't you have at least one thing that makes you like him? Just one?"

Tony turned so fast, some water sloshed out of the pool. "You kidding me? He's been trouble since we first met him! He ran into you, and since then has be nothing but trouble." Sensing the mood for the morning dying, Pepper took his hand and got up from the pool.

"How about we shower and get some lunch? Then later we can play mini-golf! I think I saw a kid playing it a while ago." Tony rose from the pool too, pulling Pepper into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry how I'm acting. But, do we really need to shower? How about we play a game first? And if I win, we make out."

Pepper smirked. "And if I win, we make out in the shower."

…

Needless to say, Pepper had won. She wasn't sure if she was really good, or Tony was being terrible on purpose. At the last hole, Pepper leaned against her small club grinning up at Tony, "This is it, dude. You mess this up I win." She watched as Tony leveled his club with the red golf ball that he chose. He stuck his tongue out, closing one eye, as though that would help him get a hole in one.

He took a swing, hitting so hard that the golf ball flew off the tarp and over the cruise's balcony. Tony stared at the ball, his body still in his swinging stance. Pepper and Tony exchanged looks, and suddenly both burst out laughing.

"Looks like I won." Pepper said between breaths. She was clutching her stomach and wiping a tear from her eyes.

Tony shook his head, a smirk on his face. "You sure you won? I'd say that I got the win with this."

The shower was much longer than it needed to be. They were so desperate for a make-out session, that they didn't remove their swimming clothes before slamming into the shower stall. Tony eventually left, allowing Pepper to clean herself, before going in after her. They settled on the bed for a while, watching the TV broadcast that was left on before they went for their make-out session.

"Lunch?" Pepper asked finally. She was wearing her favorite shorts, and the breezy crop top that Tony had gotten her from his last trip to Hawaii for a business trip. Tony leaned back on the bed, taking a quick stretch.

The sun was already beginning to set by the time they had completely gotten ready for the day. Since lunch was out of the question, they opted for a quick dinner before hitting to the deck for the party David had suggested.

And it looked like they had started with them. The music was thumping loud enough to vibrate the deck's floor. Pepper couldn't hear her heart beat anymore, and instead was immersed in the music that was blasting from the deck. "WE HAVE TO DANCE!" She screamed to Tony, grabbing his arm.

He laughed, the joy disappearing in the music's beat. "I WAS GONNA SAY THE SAME THING!" He hollered back, pulling her towards the dance floor. There were all sorts of people dancing of all sorts all ages.

_"To left… now take it back now, y'all!" _Tony and Pepper grinned ear to ear at the dance song, and quickly shuffled into place joining in with the other passengers. As the song came to the end, the DJ scratched the record and moved to a deep beat that swept through the dancers like a drug.

They all burst into cheers and began moving and swaying to the intense music. Pepper and Tony danced together, getting close to each other to make the moment more intimate. Pepper turned in a circle, pressing up against her boyfriend's chest, pushing all her love into him, to let him know he is her only true love.

Tony wrapped his arms around her body, kissing her head, feeling the warmth and love that she was emitting from her tiny body. She turned her head to him, looking up at him with her big hazel eyes. And they stayed their, staring at each other with silent words. As Tony leaned down to kiss her, he felt a tap on his shoulder. In the happy mood he was, he turned with a smile on his face, but froze.

David was smiling at him, waving with one hand. He was dressed in a stripped tank top, his muscular arms catching the attention of many girls around them. "HEY!" He screamed through the air.

"HI DAVID." Tony responded, deciding to keep things friendly. He knew he was doing this often, switching from being rude to a gentlemen. He also knew it was really correlated with his mood. There were times even back in New York that he would act out just because he had a bad day. There was no justification, but at those moments he just felt everything he did was right. Pepper did the right thing by only supporting his decision to some degree unless he went too far.

Pepper hadn't heard Tony or David, so laughed as she twirled around sticking out her rear to the beat of the music. Both men watched her, Tony incredulous that he never saw her do this, and David entranced by her moves. The red-head stopped, wondering where her significant other was and had her eyes land on David. A deep flush erupted on her face as she awkwardly stood in place, only tapping her foot to keep the feel going.

"YOU DANCED AMAZING!" David shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. Pepper grinned in response. "YOU ARE REAL LUCKY MR. STARK!" He said next, directing the statement to the fuming teenager.

"THANKS. AND THANKS FOR INVITING US OUT HERE. WE WOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS FUN IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU, DAVID." Tony shouted.

"NO PROBLEM. HOW ABOUT I GET YOU TOO DRINKS?"

Pepper and Tony exchanged looks. "WHY NOT?" Pepper said, getting a 'go' from Tony. They watched David weave in the crowd, disappearing from view as he headed to the bar. The music stopped abruptly, and complaints rose from the crowd as they didn't agree with the night being over so quickly.

"What do you want?" The DJ shouted into the microphone.

A harmonized, "MUSIC!" Rang from the dancers as they cheered for the DJ to continue making their night memorable over sea. Another wordless song burst through the speakers, the thumping of the beat stronger than any of the previous songs.

David walked back with three drinks, two being delicately balanced on one hand and another in her other hand. Pepper rushed to him and plucked the glasses from his hand. "Thanks, David!" She said loud enough for him to hear. He nodded, and flashed a grin in her direction. Pepper rushed back to Tony and handed him one of the drinks. Tony took a sip, and cringed at the harsh alcohol that rushed down his throat. He noticed Pepper cringe as well, but smiled up at him not at all minding the alcohol.

Suddenly the music seemed to get louder, and the lights got brighter. Tony blinked, and looked around, noting how the world seemed to get more exciting then before. He took another mouthful of the drink, and swallowed. Pepper looked at him, concerned. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the side. Tony squeezed his eyes shut as he put his lips on the glass for another sip.

"Tony, no, stop, no more." Pepper said when they were far enough from the music to speak without shouting. She pried the drink from his hands and put it on the table behind her. They were in the lounging area by the kitchen.

"You are so beautiful." Tony said, swaying on his feet. "Did I ever tell you that?"

"Yeah all the time." Pepper said, her eyes worried. "Tony you're drunk. You got drunk really quick, and this is your first drink."

Tony giggled, leaning backwards, losing his balance. "What…? Noo! I'm fine, Pep. Look at me!" He raised his arms by his side, swaying forward this time.

"No you're not. You're not okay. What is wrong with you?" She reached for his drink and smelled the alcoholic beverage. Her eyes widened. "There's something in this."

"Yeahh, alcohol! What is that by the way? Is that vodka? A margarita? What is it, Pepper?"

"No, Tony. Not alcohol. It's something else. I think it's drugged. I think David drugged you. I don't understand." She saw Tony look at her with a little clarity. But he was still dropping quickly.

"He… drugged me? How…" He hiccuped. "How do you know?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Tony, my dad is FBI, how many drug cases do you think he went through? I know you're drugged, it's a fact. I—" She gasped, grabbing Tony's arm.

Tony's knees buckled, and suddenly he was on his knees on the floor. He grabbed his stomach with the arm Pepper wasn't holding and closed his eyes. "Oh god, I'm not feeling good."

"David. Stay away from us." Pepper said in the distance. Tony tried looking up but saw nothing but blurry streaks of light. "You drugged Tony!"

Tony turned his head to look in the direction Pepper was. He saw a blurred figure standing behind him, his arms folded across his chest. "I would try to argue against you, but at this point I don't think anything I say will make you think otherwise."

"David…." Tony muttered. He felt something bubbling inside his gut. He realized too late it was vomit. He turned to the side and emptied his stomach on the floor beside him. He heard Pepper shriek.

"Tony! Oh god, what did you give him? I've never seen anything effect someone so quickly." She held his face in her small hands. "Tony you need to stay awake. Tony… listen to me! TONY!"

Tony desperately tried staying awake, but he tipped forward, his eyes drooping. "I… can't…" He whispered. He fell onto Pepper's shoulder. He heard only her gasp and scream as her body disappeared from his face. He fell face first, and looked up to see Pepper's red hair dangling from the air.

"TONY!" She screamed. "TONY HELP!" But there was nothing he could do, as he watched David drag carry her away from his comfort.

As his consciousness slipped from his grasps, Tony thought, _Man, Virgil is going to kill me, _as he passed out.

**Wow… what happened right? I didn't expect it to get so escalated so quickly, but what is done is done! David is officially the bad guy! GASP! Or is he….? ;) **

**So…. This chapter was quite early in my opinion, and overdue haha. But I do hope you enjoy this! So… please review! **

**Now… back to my studies and college education that will most likely will never be applied in the future. But yeah…. Bye! Have a good day!**


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